The Wi-Fi desk lamp from Ledvance promises to bring the sunshine into your home. I'll find out whether it succeeds.
To counteract the looming winter doldrums, I want to bring artificial sunlight into my home. The closest I can get to this goal? With a lamp called «Sun@Home Office Light», which claims to be like the self-luminous star: it comes from Ledvance and features special LEDs that mimic daylight. That's why - and because it appeals to me visually - I asked the Munich-based lighting technology company for a sample that I could test.
Whether on the desk or on the sideboard: the «Sun@Home Office Light» has an understated look and provides harmonious light.
First impression: Unpacking and switching on
When I take delivery of the lamp, I am immediately impressed: it is packaged sparingly, weighs 4.8 kilograms and looks as if it can withstand any disturbance at my desk or a gust of wind at sea. Its heavy weight makes me think it's heavy metal instead of smooth jazz. There's not a trace of cheap plastic in sight. Another nice detail is the felt cover on the underside to protect surfaces.
Intelligent: «Sun@Home Office Light» is equipped with gesture control and smart features.
The Wi-Fi desk lamp weighs just under five kilograms and is made almost entirely of metal.
Only when I plug it in is there a brief techno mood, because the lamp starts to light up without me having to do anything. What initially seems like a signalling light is actually a good sign in this case. It means that it is ready to be connected to the app. With the first touch of the touch sensors, the party is already over.
Die allererste Begegnung mit Strom sorgt für Disco-Stimmung, ist aber mit einem Touch beendet.
How it works
The desk lamp has a height-adjustable head and two light rings, the inner one of which can be tilted to the right and left. I can control it with the Ledvance app via Wi-Fi, but I don't have to. There are also two touch sensors on the base. One is for switching on and off and changing the colour. The other is for dimming. Both work by pressing and holding the buttons and I like them because I don't like having to pull out my mobile to operate them every time.
The «Sun@Home Office Light» can, but does not have to be controlled via app.
It has two variable light rings and a height-adjustable arm.
As if that wasn't enough, I quickly install the app on my iPhone. If you want to control it via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, nothing stands in the way, according to the manufacturer. I then add the light and play with the colour temperatures.
I can choose between 2,200 and 5,000 Kelvin and various light intensities with or without the app. The spectrum of the permanently installed «SunLike» LED with a colour rendering index (Ra) of 95 comes close to natural sunlight. In comparison, an ordinary lamp only has an Ra value of 70 to 80. As I also want to use the Office Light as such in my home office for concentrated work, the cool, bright light suits me. An app feature that reminds me to switch off the lamp also helps. Because I tend to forget to do that after work.
The colour rendering index (CRI) describes how well a lighting system succeeds in reproducing the colours in a room as they would look under natural sunlight conditions. It measures in a number the quality of colour rendering of an artificial light source compared to natural light and is given on a scale from 0 to 140. The higher the number, the better the colour rendering. For example, an Ra value of 95 is considered excellent, one of 90 is good and one of 80 or less is poor.
Simple and beautiful: Design and lighting mood
Although this lamp tries to resemble the sun, in my favourite position it reminds me more of a planet than a star. When a warm colour is switched on, it gives it the same pastel yellow-brown colour as that of Saturn.
Orients itself on the sun, but looks like a planet: depending on the position of the light rings, the Wi-Fi desk lamp always looks different.
With its simple colour tone and soft silhouette, the designer piece blends seamlessly into my study. What I also like is that the surface is neither dust nor stain magnet. On the other hand, the large key symbols, which I could still see from the Saturn, are less to my liking. However, they work just as well as the two flexible illuminated rings.
There is space on the lamp base for small items such as a drink or headphones. This saves space.
When both rings point in different directions, the light is distributed particularly evenly in the room. When I want to read something, one of the rings already casts a practical light onto the desk surface without causing glare or losing any ambient lighting. I usually use the Saturn position to illuminate the area where the sun can't reach. That feels pleasant for my eyes. In comparison, my second supposed mood light in the room is almost blinding.
When the rings are aimed at dark areas in the room, a glare-free and homogeneous working light is created.
Even after eight weeks of testing, I am just as convinced as I was on the first day. Wherever the sun is missing, I direct the «Sun@Home Office Light». I also adjust the colour depending on the time of day. In the morning and evening, the lamp has a cool colour. This has a similar effect to a light therapy lamp that I have tested. Since I've been using the Ledvance lamp, I feel like I'm awake earlier and for longer overall. However, when I'm really tired, light alone isn't enough to wake me up again.
PS: If you want to illuminate your home better but want to keep your desk free, there is also a floor lamp version to choose from.
The Sun@Home Office Light cannot replace sunlight, but with an RA value of 95, it mimics it better than conventional table lamps. It offers different color temperatures, dimmable light that you can direct in different ways thanks to two light rings, and can be controlled via an app or manually. With a recommended retail price of just under 140 Swiss francs, this desk lamp is not a bargain, but I think it would be worth the money. This is because the components are high quality and I live on the first floor. I can always use an additional light source, both in winter and summer. Thanks to its geometric, filigree shapes, the lamp has a timeless quality. It would also look good away from the desk as a reading lamp or mood light. Only the base and the button symbols are a little clunky compared to the rest.
Pro
The lamp can be operated intuitively.
It is dimmable and can produce cool or warm light.
You can operate it via an app, but you don't have to.
Its light rings and arm are flexible.
It has a classic look.
Contra
The lamp base takes up a lot of space, although it also provides a storage surface.
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
